Goodbye
by Sunny side of cookies
Summary: Axel wants to meet in the next life... Slight-ish yaoi


"Hey Roxas?"

I lifted my head from where it was nestled in the crook of my arms. "What Axel? I have to finish this essay by tomorrow, and I haven't even started the second page." I lifted my eyebrows at him expectantly. "My teacher would kill me if I didn't finish it too."

He fidgeted nervously. "I know. I know… It's just that…. I have something important to tell you."

I raised my hand and motioned for him to go on. "Okay, well what's wrong? Oh my God, are you pregnant?" I joked.

He huffed angrily. "Shut up. This is serious. And it's not funny at all."

I wiped my face of the smile that had been adorning it. "Okay then, just tell me what's wrong."

"I have cancer. And the doctor said I have two months to live, at most."

I thought back to that conversation as I wiped furiously at the tears spilling over onto my cheeks. I mentally slapped myself at how I'd joked around. I should have known better, especially when I saw how nervous Axel was. Axel was _never _nervous. I looked down at my lap, examining every stitch on the jeans I'd been wearing since yesterday. When I found a stitch had been pulled loose, I absentmindedly pulled at it. I sighed dejectedly, getting bored with the frayed thread, and looked up, taking in every stark white detail of the ghostly waiting room. I took in the white ceiling, covered in light grey specks, the blue curtains hanging off the window and framing the downcast and rainy day outside. I took in the lone receptionist clad in light pink scrubs. She looked up and smiled sympathetically when she took in my tear stained face. I heard the door next to me open and I sprang up from the uncomfortable, plastic seat to greet the official looking doctor with his clipboard in hand.

"How is he?" I asked frantically, my booming voice echoing off the walls.

The sympathy etched into the doctor's face made me feel like an evil claw was wrapping itself around my heart, spreading its dread throughout my veins.

"You can go see him now. I'm sure he won't last much longer, I'm afraid. He's in room twelve."

I thanked him quickly and rushed off in the direction the doctor had indicated with his hand. Once I found the door, the dread that had been slowly spreading through my veins exploded, and I approached the door like one would approach a feral lion. I grasped the door handle with my right hand and I slowly pushed it open. I took in the emaciated looking figure lying on the bed. I swallowed harshly and sighed. "H-hey Axel," I stuttered. "How're you feeling?"

He shrugged slightly, and I looked into his once vibrant, venomous eyes that were now sickly and hollow. I gently placed my palm atop his. "I'm so sorry," I choked. I felt his cold palm rubbing over my cheeks. I looked up and he smiled weakly.

"Hey, come on. I want you to be happy when I'm gone. Not happy _that _I'm gone, but… I want to see you smile before I die Roxas. I chose not to do the chemo. It was my choice. I didn't want to lose my precious hair."

I looked at his face, taking in every little detail. "Axel," I started.

"Shush," he interrupted. "God Roxas, you look like you've seen a ghost. If you don't smile for me, I'm going to come back and haunt you."

Tears once again welled up in my eyes, threatening to spill over and run down my cheeks. "That's not funny," I mumbled pathetically. I looked down and fiddled with my fingers for a few moments before looking back up. "I'm scared."

"Roxas…" He sighed and grabbed my fingers into his. "You think I'm not scared? I'm scared to death-"

I laughed mirthlessly, interrupting him. "Axel, stop joking. I'm serious. I'm scared that I'll never find another friend as good to me as you are."

He looked me in the eyes and a few silent moments passed before he whispered to me. "You're my best friend, you know that?"

I nodded slowly. "And you're mine." A comfortable silence settled over us, and I looked out the window, taking in the gloomy scenery.

"Do you remember the time we went to the beach, and that seagull kept chasing you?"

I laughed for the fist time in what felt like ages. "Yeah," I said. "I wanted to kill that thing."

Axel smiled. "There it is. I love your smile. It always makes me want to smile too."

A fresh wave of tears prickled at my eyes. "Please don't die," I pleaded.

"It's a bit late for that, don't you think?"

I bit my lip and sniffled as I looked at my palms again. I looked up in alarm when his breathing became labored. He convulsed as he gasped for air.

"Axel," I called. "Oh my God…"

A cough rumbled in his chest. "We'll meet in the next life, right?" he rasped.

I nodded vehemently as tears streamed down my face. "Yeah. Yeah we will Axel, I promise."

His eyes fluttered closed briefly before he looked at me again. "Don't forget me, Roxas."

I watched in horror as his breathing calmed down until his chest stilled completely. I cried out as if someone had struck me when the telltale beep sounded. Nurses rushed in and pushed me out of the way, seeing if they could revive him.

"Axel!" I cried. "Axel, no! Wake up! We have to go eat ice cream and watch the sunset from the clock tower! You can't die on me! Who am I going to call at two in the morning because my dad hit my mom again? Please!"

A nurse grabbed my trembling and held me firmly as the sobs wracked my small frame. "Axel!"

The nurse led me over to a chair outside of Axel's room and helped me sit down. "Sweetie, I'm sorry. But he's gone. He's with the angels now."

I dropped my head onto my knees and sat like that, with my body shaking violently from the tears, and the nurse soothingly rubbing my back. I lifted my head and another painful wail tore from my throat. "I feel so lost. Why him? Why did such a good person have to die?

"Maybe he had a bigger purpose in Heaven, with God."

I looked over at the nurse sitting next to me. "Maybe you're right," I whispered. "But I'm still going to miss him."

"And that's perfectly ok. It sounds like he was really important to you."

"He was."

"So miss him for a while. Then get up and move on, just don't forget him, and always honor his memory."

I nodded and she smiled at me. "If I'm not mistaken, that's his family over there," She said as she pointed to three tall figures huddled together a little way's down the hall from us. "Maybe you should go console them."

I nodded. "Yeah, that's them."

She stood up and held out her hand for me. I grasped it and she pulled me to my feet. I took a deep breath, squared my shoulders and approached them.

And I offered them my shoulder to cry on while I told them the same things the nurse told me.


End file.
